Rated R
Three out of five stars
For Inland 360
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” maintains the good qualities of “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and provides a solid spy-action film, even if it falls short of the original.
The new film picks up about a year after the events of 2014’s “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (so watching the first film is helpful). At first, all is good as Eggsy (Taron Egerton) works to bring down the baddies, but then it all blows up in his face. Literally.
British Kingsman headquarters and agents are destroyed, leaving only Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong) to find the culprits. Without resources, they turn to their spy cousins on the other side of the pond: the Statesman. Working together, they try to bring down a villain who’s planning a global catastrophe.
While this film lacks the creative spark of its predecessor, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” provides plenty of entertainment. There are fights, funny moments, despicable villains and gadgets that would make James Bond jealous. Also, the film seamlessly transitions from the first film to the second, filling in gaps with few plot holes.
Like the first film the action is beautiful, almost dance-like. Characters flip, twist, kick and hit with suave violence. The camera does not remain static during these scenes, but instead moves with the punches and kicks to give audiences a close feel for the action.
Kingsman and Statesman are distinguished in look and apparel. Kingsman wear tailored suits with specialized wristwatches, cologne, umbrellas, briefcases and lighters. The Statesman wear cowboy hats, boots and belt buckles and use enhanced weapons like lassos, whips, baseballs and bats.
The storyline depicts a (mostly) friendly rivalry as the Kingsman and Statesman work through their differences toward the same goal. New characters such as Whiskey (Pedro Pascal) and Ginger (Halle Berry) to create a different dynamic for the Kingsman crew to adjust to.
However, it’s the old Kingsman team that provides the heart and soul of the film, especially with the return of Harry (Colin Firth). The Kingsman are not just trying to save the world; at the end of the day they want to settle the score for their own losses. In order to do that, Eggsy and Merlin have to put aside their emotions so that no one else loses, a challenge Eggsy struggles with. The internal struggle gives audiences something to connect with in these characters, rather than just good guys who punch bad guys.
In a comparison of “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service” “Golden Circle” falls short. But how could it not? “The Secret Service” was such a breath of fresh air, pumping new life into the spy genre, that anything that followed seems destined to feel unoriginal and stale. However, “Golden Circle” stands strong by bringing back favorite characters, adding in some fresh faces, new gadgets and villains and plenty of dazzling action.
Brewster is a graduate of Lewiston High School and Lewis-Clark State College and has a master’s degree in film and television studies from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. She can be reached at kaylee.brewster@hotmail.com
